The Folk Music Thread

[Steve S]

My radio memories are the comedy on sunday afternoons....Especially "Round the Horne" and "The Navy Lark".....Which makes me think of Rambling Sid Rumpo as the ultimate Folk singer...........

[Robert]

Here's a radio site. It's not working for me at the moment, although it was. Maybe others will be luckier.

http://www.otr.net/

[Steven Russell]

Hi Limehouse

Muriel Young used to be a radio DJ I believe, then became a TV presenter and director. Ollie Beak and Fred Barker survived into the early 70s - they were on Lift Off With Ayshea.

I remember Muriel Young on one of the kids' shows saying "next week we'll have a new group called the Beatles."

I remember Ollie Beak from a 70s show called "Get It Together". He was always trying to cadge 50p off Roy North.

[Limehouse]

My radio memories are the comedy on sunday afternoons....Especially "Round the Horne" and "The Navy Lark".....Which makes me think of Rambling Sid Rumpo as the ultimate Folk singer...........

Yep - straight after Sunday dinner, on went the radio - with both the above programmes. Also remember the Clitheroe Kid on a Sunday afternoon but, as a child, I was always a bit freaked by what was obviously an adult behaving like a schoolboy. I was also always slightly suspicious of that Alfie -sounded a bit wet to me!

Oh, such simple days!

[Steve S]

Yes,"Clitheroe" never really worked for me,either........Maybe you had to be Northern.............

[Steven Russell]

I quite like The Clitheroe Kid although I'm a little too young to remember it first time out. Likewise The Navy Lark and the two Kenneth Horne Shows. All of these, and Hancock's Half Hour, can be heard on Radio 4 Extra. Well worth a listen.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Rubyretro]

I've been listening to Maddy Prior (again. Old habits are hard to kill).

http://youtu.be/FHzAZ5CY2 ('Cannily, Cannily' -although a rather wet version)

http://youtu.be/Yy707Dj4lnc (OMG ! Never thought to find this fave on Youtube ! I saw Dave Swarbrick -fiddle- live a few times... Polly on the Shore)

http://youtu.be/M3dJHy7mDck (Martin Carthy is one of my heros. Half the verses missed out on this version. It's a song which is very hard to sing, but Martin is one of the few that can tackle it... Byker Hill)

http://youtu.be/U_5H0xMCPsM (the definitive version of the 'Mingulay Boat Song' -Richard Thompson )

http://youtu.be/8BvhZ2cGhfk (The last...another -or the most- Greats of the Greats. Shane McGowan & The Pogues version of 'Poor Paddy'. Not the least wet..).


(one of my favourite albums 'No Roses' & big singing influences..;

http://youtu.be/zo6s34ViUw8Shirley Collins 'Poor Murdered Woman' )

[Cogidubnus]

Have a good birthday Dave - you are the same age as my husband. Me? I'm 55 tomorrow!

Many Happy Returns Julia, I hope it's been a good one (makes a change talking to a youngster as I'm a toyboy, my missus being ahem a tad older than myself)...Lucky old husband!

The Navy Lark and Round the Horne - now you're talking - and how they got away with what they did on the latter (mainstream radio on Sunday lunchtime) I really can't begin to imagine...even at that age I got some of the polari, and surely the adult world did too? Perhaps the ex-service and post war element were just too strong for the establishment? Dunno

Left hand down a bit, number one....ooooh, naaaasty....

All the best

Dave

[Limehouse]

Many Happy Returns Julia, I hope it's been a good one (makes a change talking to a youngster as I'm a toyboy, my missus being ahem a tad older than myself)...Lucky old husband!

The Navy Lark and Round the Horne - now you're talking - and how they got away with what they did on the latter (mainstream radio on Sunday lunchtime) I really can't begin to imagine...even at that age I got some of the polari, and surely the adult world did too? Perhaps the ex-service and post war element were just too strong for the establishment? Dunno

Left hand down a bit, number one....ooooh, naaaasty....

All the best

Dave

Thanks for the bithday greetings Dave. It was just an ordinary day really, long day at work then the usual round of evening chores but i got lots of nice cards and pressies.

My dad adored the Navy Lark and Round the Horne but it all went over my head at that age. The only thing I picked up on was the 'camp tone' of some of the men, which was so different to the deep tones of my father, uncles and other men I knew.

A few years ago, when I was lecturing in language and literacy development, I delivered a series of lectures on languages such as Polari, Yiddish and the current Fusion language - which all have a common theme in terms of their use by marginalised people residing (or passing through) unfamiliar or hostile locations. Despite its serious origins, we had a bit of fun with Polari, but a few people were quite shocked to learn the true meaning of the word 'naff'!

Have a good birthday!

Julie

[Limehouse]

Ruby - fantastic songs! Thanks so much. i enjoyed them very much.

[Rubyretro]

Ruby - fantastic songs! Thanks so much. i enjoyed them very much.

Thank you !

I was a bit down this evening..
and started listening to this http://youtu.be/nAC47w80lSI -worms

...moved on to this http://youtu.be/jXyt5MQE_Co (it was a bloke who hated weddings, who taught me it...at a wedding..many moons ago. So the memory cheered me up).

Came upon this Monty Python sketch on the same you tube page (not music), and ended up falling about laughing.. http://youtu.be/rAaWvVFERVA

[Limehouse]

I was looking for The Kingston Trio's version of this sad but lovely song but could only find The Searchers.

Although a 60s 'pop group' The Searchers have been consistently undervalued over the years. They recorded, wrote and covered some excellent tracks, including this folk song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5iKZLa9-48

[Limehouse]

The Weavers at Carnegie Hall 1955

For those of you based in the UK (and it may be available elsewhere too) BBc Radio Four ran a programme yesterday about The Weavers concert at Carnegie Hall on Christmas Eve 1955. It was something of a reunion for the group who had been left with very little work in many parts of America due to persecution and accusations by the McCarthy committee.

The programme featured music from the concert and interviews with Pete Seeger and Ronnie Gilbert about the rise and fall of their careers with the Weavers. The concert prompted a new interest in folk music.

You can 'listen again' to this programme by going to the BBC Radio 4 website.

[Limehouse]

I used to listen to this a lot in my younger days. Then, just recently, I heard it again and loved it all over again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYD3pkbgnKA

[Graham]

Hi Julie,

here's my post to the Folk Music Thread, per your request!

I've spent most of the evening trying to teach my cloth-eared missus how to play "Four Strong Winds" by Ian Tyson on guitar....I'm taking a break. Trouble is, being a blues guitarist myself, most songs I play end up sounding like Robert Johnson....which "Four Strong Winds" should not. Lovely, simple song.

Have you switched onto Brooks Williams yet?

Cheers,

Graham